If I could Just Touch Your World Upon A Whisper
by Strange Principles
Summary: Two travellers, stuck in different dimensions. Seven years later... and could the rift between them be sealed? It's war out there, and the storm clouds are gathering for Rose... D10 Rose.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: **I'm obsessed with Doctor Who. Probably more so than with Harry Potter. More than that, I'm obsessed with the fact that the Doctor (the Tenth) and Rose HAVE to meet again some day. This is set around seven years after the end of Doomsday and therefore contains some Doomsday spoilers. I loved the end of Doomsday so that's why I'll never re-write the script, even if I can wishfully think that it never REALLY happened. So here's my story. The story of Rose… and Torchwood. And a blue box. Rose's age is twenty-seven, as I'm going by the fact that I think she was 20 in Doomsday. It never really said if she'd had a birthday, but she can't have still been nineteen, or so I think… oh yeah, and forget Martha. This is a Rose Doctor fic! Anyway! Read on!_

_**2700 Hours – Planet Dræda, Investigation Registered by The Torchwood Estate, Earth:**_

Seven years into the future and Rose Tyler had rose in the ranks of Torchwood quickly, ever since she had signed up. She had a new life now… different in many respects than the one she had lead with the Doctor, and a lot less plentiful… but it was better than nothing. Getting the bus… going to bed… going to work… eating chips. Even though she still had an undisputed love for chips, it was good to get out of that routine. After Bad Wolf Bay, after… that… had happened, she would have gone insane following such a pattern. Even now, when she was twenty seven, it hurt.

It was odd, because she hadn't aged much. Her face was exactly the same as it had been all those years ago, when she travelled in the magical TARDIS. Maybe it was something to do with travelling with the TARDIS… or maybe the Time Vortex, the remnants of it still inside her. She didn't know, but that was okay. She didn't particularly want to change her face. Because this face carried memories she never wanted to forget.

She clipped on her seatbelt again and squashed uncomfortably into her chair. They were flying from the orbit of Planet Dræda. Only seven years and technology was oh, so much better than at home. On her earth. When she'd arrived in this parallel world Torchwood were already a secret, yet worldwide association. And they knew so much. They had so much. John Lumic had torn the world apart and at the same time, he'd improved it.

"Okay…" the rocket's captain, "Zack" (and Rose had to admit, this could be more than coincidence, considering the mission they had taken on), glanced backwards to check on all members of his crew, while steering gradually, even though he had the option to set coordinates and simply let the ship go onto auto-pilot. But he liked to be in control. Typical. "We've left Dræda and on a clear route to point 0, Krop Tor… K37 Gem 5."

There was a quiver in the voice there, definitely. Perhaps of excitement, perhaps of fear. Because Rose herself had plenty of reasons to be scared of this place. This was the place where'd she'd met Satan and nearly lost the Doctor. In the old days. Of course, this wasn't the first place she'd ever re-visited with Torchwood, rather than with the Doctor. But even now, it wasn't the same without him. Without the TARDIS.

_**Flashback**_

_Jackie sat on the end of the sofa, a cup of tea in one hand while she tried to console Rose by patting her head with the other. Rose herself was curled up on the sofa, holding a sodden cushion to her head. She'd been like it all day. It was seven o' clock at night and all day, she hadn't even bothered to change out of her pyjamas._

"_Just forget him," said Jackie. "You're gonna have to sometime, love. I'm sorry."_

_Rose took another deep breath again, pushing her face into the pillow. She hadn't bothered taking her make up off from the day before and it was smudged halfway down her face, her tears blackened by it. _

"_How?" She cried. "How can I forget him?"_

"_Well maybe… that's what you have to do. Everyone moves on, Rose. Sometime, you have to, the sooner the better. I had to move on after Pete died."_

_That brought on another sob from Rose as she squashed herself into a tighter ball. "But it's okay, mum. You've got dad all over again now. He came back for you, but how's the Doctor ever going to come back for me? Who's…" She sobbed again, "Who's… going to hold his hand now?"_

"_There'll be someone, Rose. There's always someone. Me? I had you. The Doctor will move on, too. You don't need to be scared he won't, because I'm willing to bet he'll have another blonde attached to his arm sometime…" There was a sniff of disapproval there. Jackie stood up, as if she was about to announce something important._

"_Tomorrow, Rose Tyler, you're gonna get up and go that job of yours, and show the rest of 'em just what your made of. You're gonna make sure you live up to what the Doctor expected of you and what I expect of you. You got that? Right. Well. I'm making you a cup of tea."_

_Rose sniffed and withdrew even more into her ball of safety. Jackie stomped out of the room as if she didn't really have much hope in her daughter. But Rose acknowledged something of what she said. The Doctor would want her to get on with her life. Move on. And even if she couldn't forget, that's what she would do._

_**End Flashback**_

Rose looked out of the window at the miracle, Krop Tor. Just a faint speck against the black horizon, devoid of anything. K37 Gem 5. Together with the planet in front, it was a natural phenomenon. And even in a parallel universe, the sight was dizzying and terrifying… but exhilarating. They were going to do something Rose had never done before but had heard of only once, and done it reverse. They were going to fly down the gravity funnel.

Even for the parallel Torchwood, it was a moment in history. A feat that could only be considered unachievable by the likes of humans.

The engines flared as the rocket almost eagerly sped towards the planet. It was one of the best models taken from alien technology that Torchwood could provide. This mission was important. And Rose was honoured to have even been considered to go on it. They were going to a place that was decades ahead of when rose had first ever visited, when she still lived with…

Pause it there. She didn't want to think.

Rose gulped and snuggled further into the seat, ready for a bumpy ride.

"Zack, how far now?" She said, swallowing the guilt and fear and anger and sorrow.

"Oh, not far now," said the excited Zack. "Give me a minute while I make sure everything's in order…" Buttons were pressed, and lights flashed green or red. On his computer screen a bar chart was seen, the bars extending and flashing alternate colours. Rose understood nearly all of it. But for someone who had never bothered to pass their driving test, she wouldn't ever trust herself to be in charge of them.

There was a muffled laugh from beside her and she turned to one of her companions. The closest friend she'd ever had, riding the stars with her. Mickey Smith, there with her through everything. She'd loved him once but that had faded. Then he'd dared to venture into the realms of space and the old spark had come to life. But they weren't a couple. Mickey had his own girlfriend. But Rose and him… they were the closest friends ever, and could trust each other with absolutely anyone.

"Hah," he said. "I'll never get over this. The whole life or death thing? Talk about adrenaline."

Rose elbowed him. "Talk about adrenaline junkie," she laughed, but she choked on that as the whole ship shuddered and launched itself into the funnel, increasing it's speed by almost triple. She could feel the whole ship shudder and creak as it approached Krop Tar, the planet she hated but wanted to revisit to relive the memories. Beside her Mickey was doing his usual immature boy thing, whooping and yelling to the air. That hadn't changed about him. At least now he never commented on how space looked so realistic. He'd finally come to terms with the fact that there was a world outside earth. A huge one.

Rose found her eyes wide with the complete force of the rattling rocket. Surely this couldn't be right? The sheer G Force was tearing the rocket apart. Mickey's yells of "yeaaaaahhh!" were cut short as the whole crew were flung about in their seats. Taking strength from herself, Rose closed her eyes, remembering what the old Zack had once said. They had lost the Captain just flying down the funnel. She clung to the feeble leather strap across her like it was a lifeline. Torchwood had the best technology in the world but had they bothered with reinforced seatbelts? No. They bloody well hadn't.

The world whirled and colours merged as the speed increased, as the temperature got hotter, as Rose felt the rocket gets lost within the funnel, spinning in no direction, rattling like a tin can in a rubbish truck. Her hand found Mickey's and she held it tightly, and he did too. It wasn't the right hand, though. He… she should be…

_Rose was standing on a beach again, running towards Jackie as she felt everything dear to her torn away. She was holding on for her life, on a lever, trying desperately to save the world, hearing the screams of the Doctor as he yelled at her to hold on. She was running to him with open arms. She was standing outside the TARDIS, smiling at it quickly, just appreciating it's presence before she opened it's welcome doors and ran inside to her Doctor. _

Sevenyears had passed…

And yet she couldn't forget…

Rose vaguely heard the panicked yells of the crew as they left the funnel. It was basic safety – the rocket had sensed danger and altered course. But it didn't know, it wasn't an intelligent life form. How could a piece of machinery know what the black hole could do?

There was a sudden silence in the rocket as heat rushed and the whole structure of the rocket shook. The crew looked around, faces fearful of tear-laced. Rose remained rigid in her chair, her eyes closed, because she knew what was happening. What had she thought, when she'd signed up for the mission? When she'd been requested? Terror. That had been the first. Then an excitement to re-visit, to experience it without the TARDIS. To relive a time when she'd still had the Doctor. She'd known the danger and ploughed on.

Had it been worth it?

Zack's voice was thick with panic. "We've left the funnel… and we're heading straight for…"

Mickey's hand thumped down on the arm of his chair. "The Black Hole." Rose squeezed her eyes open and took her hand from his. Never had she thought she'd do this ever again. She was so…

"I am so _stupid_," she cried, kicking the step in front of her, then resting back into position. "Why didn't I stop it? God, I could've… I should've…"

"You couldn't have known, Rose," said Zack. No more fiddling with controls for him. The escape from the Black Hole was futile. Death by collision would probably be more pleasant than being sucked into that.

Rose was wracked with anger and guilt and frustration. "Krop Tor, the Bitter Pill. Yeah, I could've. But no… I had to go… just for the _stupid _Doctor." Rose had her head in her hands now and the tears fell onto them.

"I just can't forget that time, Mickey…"

His hand rested reassuringly on her shoulder.

"We all wanted to go, Rose. And now… well, this might be the end, but we're in this together. And let's face it, none of us are going anywhere, right?"

Rose took her face out of her hands and cried freely, looked at Mickey, and took his hand again. Her other hand reached out for Zack's shoulder, and Mickey did the same to his companion beside him, until they were all sitting in a circle, fear in their eyes, trembling, but united as they felt the rocket whirl through space, felt it be torn to bits.

"Thanks," said Rose still, crying. She tried to muster a smile, but in the captain's chair, Zack murmured assent as in the main window the hole loomed ever close.

"Honoured to have served with you guys," he said.

"No problem," said Jane, another of the crew.

"Don't mention it," muttered Mickey, whereas Mr Jefferson, a man of very few words, just nodded his head.

Rose looked out of the window at the blossoming black, red and fiery orange.

"Good bye," she said.

Darkness.

_**XXXXX**_

_It was like a dream, where darkness rushed by, carrying with it the remnants of a billion planets, the ancient ruins of dozens of civilizations. The ripped and torn and maimed galaxies that had been torn away and out of existence. Nothing was felt, nothing could be heard. Nothing existed, nothing could exist, and yet there it was. This should have been death. This should have been extermination. Instead it glowed white and black and every colour imaginable and more, and Rose's eyes widened. Maybe this was death. Maybe it was an afterlife. _

_If she looked around, she couldn't see anything. The rocket was gone, and so was Mickey, Zack, Jefferson, Jane. Her hand was clamped around nothing… literally. She tried to turn, as she floated through the nothing, as a scarlet stream rushed by her, consuming her in it's colourful glow. She didn't feel anything. It was strange how something so full of life could be so dead._

_But if she looked around, she could see everything travelling in more than one direction. She was gradually travelling – or speeding – there was no way of telling, in one direction, if that existed, while on the other hand, things were being consumed in fire. If she stepped out of her scarlet refuge then she too may be consumed. So what little of Rose still existed told her to hang on. _

_She drifted in the nothing. Perhaps she was passing time as quick as anything… perhaps she wasn't moving at all._

_Looking around, she only felt sadness. She remembered a time she'd had with the Doctor. She'd wondered if the Black Hole could have been a gateway to other universes. The Doctor had dismissed the idea. It just wasn't possible, she supposed. It was enough to break her heart all over again, if, indeed, she did have one._

_But… this was a parallel universe…_

_**XXXXXX**_

Rose opened her eyes slowly, flashes of the scarlet dream passing through her head like leaves may be blown from a tree. Her alarm clock was ringing so loudly it felt like it was hammering inside her head. Her world was still dark, even though she'd opened her eyes. So, it must be night time. She closed them again, tried to shift her position; go back to bed. Someone must have set the alarm wrong… no doubt it was Jane Tyler, six year old monster.

Rose opened her eyes again when she realised she couldn't move. She raised her heavy head, her eyes adjusting to the new light as she realised that she wasn't at home at all, and her alarm clock was not ringing. It was head, hurting so much it felt like something was ringing inside it. Her memories flooded back and she became rigid in the chair, eyes wide open.

_Parallel universe, parallel Krop Tor, parallel K37 Gem 5. It _was_ a gateway…_

It was funny how Rose's most rational thoughts almost always came first, and then she started panicking.

_Where the hell am I!_

The answer lay before her as two armoured creatures that smelled rancid and had long, mottled, skeletal fingers, put their identical gun noses on her neck and spoke in perfect English. Their modern, clouded visors obscured her sight of their faces but their voices clicked and grated and Rose flinched with every word, her hand still clenched around nothing, even in it's new manacle.

"_Identified as human. Identification Tag suggests name to be Rose Tyler of the Torchwood Institute. What great uses we have for you…"_

Rose didn't have time to think where she was, or who her new companions were, or to worry about the fact that there was a gun poised at her throat, because a communication screen opened itself in the air above her; a hologram. And the familiar sight before her petrified her into an unmoving, unthinking state.

_Help me…_

_**A/N: Oho, don't you worry. The Doctor IS going to be in this. But you'll have to wait till next chapter to find out how he'll be introduced, or what fate awaits Rose. I'm sure your dying to see if they meet again and what'll exchange, so I think I'll be cruel and leave you hanging in that state of ignorance while I write the next chapter! **_

_**I realise this may be long-winded and have a far-fetched plot, but your thoughts are always appreciated and I would so love a review!**_

_**Also, thanks to all people who reviewed my latest Doctor/Rose poem (which you should also check out! Good bye Rose Tyler), and here's your special Thanks:**_

**_Eeveekitty85, pazaz of nothing, BookEnd, radish Earrings, Flaignhan, Jessa7, C.Halliwell, silver diamond eyes, and finally, Uh.Yeah. You are all so great and I appreciate this!_**

_**Also, I realise this was only 5 pages. Next chapter will be MUCH longer and MUCH more exciting, I promise. I hope you enjoyed, and I'll start getting to work with the next chapter now.**_

_**Last note, please note that my previous author's note was written before I actually wrote anything! So it may have some inaccuracies, as may the story. I apologise for these and hope they didn't ruin your enjoyment! Also, the dialogue in this fits Rose's or any other's personality if you envision them to be saying it. So if any are out of character, try visualise them actually saying it in an episode! The next chapte will involve the Doctor and probably his point of view, so good luck to me and to you...**_

_**Yours,**_

**_StrangePrinciples _**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here we go… and yes, if you recognise the word 'Skarian' or think it sounds like another Dr Who related word, then you are very right, probably, with it's associations **

**_A Day Later, Pavar, The Skarian Galaxy, TARDIS_**

The Doctor sat on the chair by the TARDIS' console and put his head in his hands. Sometimes he got like that. He'd… seen so much in his lifetime. Done so much, lost so much, and yet it felt like everyday he achieved nothing. He would eradicated an evil and then trigger another to follow. And he did it alone. Seven years he'd been alone. Seven, lonely years without anyone by his side. Just like after the time war. Inconsolable. Broken. But alive.

Hell, he was still alive alright. But he didn't have to like it.

Shrugging off the hopelessness, he stood from the chair and stood by the console, lazily flicking a switch. The monitor turned on, the Galifreyan symbols on it whirring and interlocking and changing as the TARDIS scanned for danger or life signs outside. The Doctor always double checked this now, however. He'd lost too much. He didn't own anything, apart from his infamous blue box. And even that wasn't his. He'd stolen it. But now, all these years in the future when his race was dead as dust and there was no one with him to argue differently, it was as good as his.

The reading came up normal. There was life on Pavar, but no traces of potential dangers. The Doctor didn't even really know why he was here. The TARDIS had picked up an interesting news broadcast flare and because he'd had nothing better to do, he'd followed it up. That's what the Doctor did now. There wasn't really anywhere to go for enjoyment, because there was no one to enjoy it with. Danger normally came to him, so there was nothing to chase and life it seemed, had finally slowed down. Nothing happened anymore without him prompting it.

Settling his overcoat on the rail of the TARDIS, The Doctor went out in his pinstriped suit and plimsolls, regardless of the chilly weather. Outside were the sandy dunes that identified Pavar, and on top was the bustling community of metal and steel and fluorescent lights. The sky was midnight black permanently, apart from the gaze of myriads of stars puncturing through its blanket.

Walking across the street, The Doctor stopped in a food restaurant and ordered a Hot Dog. One thing that could always cheer him up was good food. And even if this was mechanically processed meat, it was damn tasty and the Doctor didn't care if it was perhaps the most gross of foods. He preferred earth ones, though. Pavar Hot Dogs just didn't carry the same flavour.

On the steely surface of the bar, the Doctor idly looked up at the hologram that shivered in the corner. It was displaying national news, and most of it went over the Doctor's head. Okay, so he maybe an alien with an intellect far beyond the average beings, but neither did he have the head for politics or economics… and neither did he had the patience.

One thing that did catch his eye, however, was the vibrant red letters that suddenly flashed on the screen, and the scenes of devastation that played out afterwards.

A news reporter stood amidst a field of metal scraps and shell holes, and explosions could be heard in the far off distance. He listened to the commentary tentatively, his danger-sensitive ears taking in everything.

"The conflict between Pavar and Kastal has worsened overnight. There are reports of the situation progressing to outright intergalactic war over who owns the new moon, Livida. Today a procession of humans – thought to be prisoners of the Kastalians - were seen being taken to a location that's whereabouts is unknown. The information given to us about these hostages was incomplete and unclear as it seems the mole was murdered before any details could really be exchanged. There are rescue and search teams being dispatched to offer help to anyone who may be in danger from the Kastalians, who have also been rumoured to have joined up with another species. Instructions are as always: all transport out of Pavar is restricted for your own safety, and stay within your community. Updates will be broadcast to your personal Holo-Holders and you can call our helpline on the code number 666."

"And now I will hand over to…"

The Doctor tapped the humanoid waitress on the shoulder and gave her a winning smile. She had been watching the Hologram intently, a stricken expression on her oddly set face.

"Uh, excuse me. My name's the Doctor. What's all this? Intergalactic war?"

The waitress laughed. "You must be joking, sir!"

"Uh, nope," grinned the Doctor. "So what's it all about? Give me the latest gossip."

The waitress was taken aback, but she didn't get paid much and if she sat down to have a conversation with a charming, nice stranger then she wasn't complaining seeing as she'd always chucked this week's wages down the drain. Any way to grab attention in the bustling community of Pavar was one to be taken.

"So, you wanna know about the war, right? Well, like. It's not a war _yet_ but you kind of get that that's the way it's going. What you saw there was footage from a couple of days ago. Don't tell Esme I told you, but we didn't have enough money to get up to date stuff transmitted here so we just get recordings, and like, all of that stuff. Yeah, so like, there's been more stuff than that. But basically, um, it's like this feud about who owns the new moon, Livida. You, like, can guess that with the Kastalians temper it'd get a bit messy, but yeah, anyways, like with war and stuff everyone started fighting and there's, like, been loads of hostages taken from other planets, and ransom notes, like, charging us to free them. There's loads of footage. I could, like, put it on for you if you like. You'd get the idea."

The Doctor sucked in his breath and smiled. "Ooh, an offer of recorded footage, hostage tapes and ransom notes. How could I resist?"

The waitress giggled and waved a cybernetic arm his way. God, she was tired of this shift. No one would notice her departure. Freya was on her shift anyway. And well, watching TV was better than serving drinks to unsatisfied customers.

"I'll lead the way," she said smugly.

**XXXXXXX**

_**Kastal… The Day Before**_

The cold, emotionless lens of the creature looked deep into Rose's being, right into her soul, it seemed. Her breath caught as she looked at it. It was alone, but it chilled her to the bone. Daleks. She'd seen them so many times before and every time she lost something. Her old Doctor. Her companionship with her very own new Doctor. The happiness the Doctor had had before he'd tried to kill Van Statten's Metaltron. And she could swear she'd seen this one before.

"Rose Tyler," grated the hard voice. "You are known to the Daleks. You are necessary for completion of this mission. You will not be exterminated. You shall comply to the wishes of your captors."

"D-Dalek…" stuttered Rose. "But… you can't… Daleks, they… you only want your own supremacy. What do you mean?"

"It is necessary for an alliance for the Daleks to survive. We shall have supremacy. But we must possess patience. Only then can the extermination of the universe begin. Creating an alliance with the Kastalians is one step to eradication of all life. We shall have our reign."

Rose stuttered something that she herself couldn't even make out as the screen was cancelled. The gravely tones of her captors soon issued from the misted visors, and a screen of some sort was thrust into her lap. Letters of her own language in green were upon its screen. Rose understood completely what they wanted her to do and gulped as she recognised something she'd watched so many times in movies.

She picked the screen up with her manacled hands and read from the panel while another screen came into existence before her, this time tracking her movements; recording them in its database.

"My name is…" Rose gulped again, not being able to help her slight stutter; "Rose T-Tyler, of the Torchwood Institute, Register Number 56709/Apple. I – I am here on behalf of the K-Kataslyan…err, Kastalian… Empire." Rose's hand shook and her voice quivered slightly as a gun nozzle poked more into her flesh. "They wish the people of… Pavar to comply to their… their wishes, as are they stated in the… treaty of peace… or my fellow companions and I will be executed on the morning of the 19th of Gesmin… _oh god…_ and," Rose's voice broke and she hurled the tile across the room. "Whatever the hell they want, don't bloody well give it to them, alright? I don't know who the hell you are but for god's sake; stand up for what you believe in! Don't give 'em anything…"

For a moment the guards did nothing, and then they did. That's all that could be said because they did not move… just suddenly, the gun tips buzzed against her neck and Rose slipped into some kind of unconsciousness, still on camera. She heard faint voices as she drifted off…

"_It will be sufficient. The use of visual force on her is evident and the sympathetic Pavarians will be easily susceptible to weakness. They will grant our wishes… eventually."_

For what seemed like the second time that day, or week, or year, Rose Tyler slipped into darkness. Only then did the camera wink out.

**XXXXX**

The Doctor put his feet up on the desk and whizzed around in the chair, quite enjoying himself, really, while his new found friend clattered through old recordings. Or in this case, new ones. It seemed that wherever he went, everyone was getting it wrong. The thing that made the Doctor very interested, however, was the mention of human being on the previous recording. He didn't know why he'd always had a soft spot for them. In one word, they were as stupid as a squashed amoeba. Okay, so maybe that was more than one word. But they certainly did have their brighter points. Sarah Jane, and all those other people he'd befriended. And…

That one he wasn't going to mention. He tried to swallow the hard lump in his throat but found it impossible. The fun suddenly went out of swinging on the office chair and the Doctor's expression changed to complete seriousness so quickly he could almost be mistaken for a different man entirely. He'd had seven years. Hadn't he accomplished anything in them? Seven, and he couldn't even forget a face.

"Everything, like, alright, sir?" Said the mottled, gangly waitress with the cybernetic arm and hip as she came in with what looked like CDs, but were in fact more commonly known as simply, "Holos".

"Fine." Said the Doctor, but didn't move to make a happier face.

"Right," said the waitress, overlooking this completely. "Well, these are like, really new. Only, like, got them today. Haven't even watched them yet. They're over eighteens, right? The Pavarian Broadcasting Centre is showing the hostage tapes to people who wanna, like, see if they can identify any of the hostages. So, I like, take it your over eighteen? Apparently some of these get, like, pretty messy. Mind if I go outside for some of 'em? Can't stand the sight of blood."

"No," said the Doctor dismissively. Ignoring the waitress as she clunked outside, he took a disk and inserted it into a Holo Holder. The following ensued.

_A man, or an alien, sat in what might as well have been a heap of carpet. He'd obviously been there for many days. There were no guns visibly pointing at him. Maybe his captors thought him docile and humbled enough. His eyes read off a screen that was settled in his lap._

"_The Kastalian army is primed and ready to be deployed. Our Technology is far more progressed than the Pavarians could ever hope to develop. War against us could have only one outcome. Slaughter of your kind and of this feeble human, of which you have strong alliances with. If you wish to prevent this we request you give us what we request in the Peace Treaty. Livida belongs to Kastal. Response is to be sent to us within 2 days, before this human is killed."_

_The man looked up at the camera and said, so afraid:_

"_Oh my god. Please help me."_

The Doctor switched off the disk. He got the picture. But he went through every disk anyway, and always, there were the same bewildered, scared people. The date at the side of the recording identified exactly how old each Holo was. The Doctor could imagine that that man's help never arrived.

Putting the last Holo in the Holder, the Doctor wasn't sure he could be bothered to look at yet another one. He put his face in his hands and looked to the floor. What was it with the universe? And he wasn't not criticising himself. Who's fault was it anyway? That his people were destroyed? Not just the Daleks. The Time Lord's had caused the war just as much as they. Two races with power, and hell, had they known it. They'd been the extermination of each other, and look where it had got them. A fine example the Time Lords had lead for the people of the universe.

The Doctor left the room, leaving the Holo playing. He shut the door behind him with a sigh and started to walk from the bar. Someone needed saving again. Well, he guessed that was his and the sonic screwdriver's job again…

That's if, he actually had his screwdriver.

Cursing, he dashed into the recording room again to pick up the screwdriver he'd left on the desk, but not before he'd heard a very, very familiar voice. He almost stumbled backwards from the force of it. He looked at the misted recording, clouded with interference. There was the peroxide blonde hair. His heart clenched. No, both hearts clenched. No… this was too cruel…

"_My name is…" the blonde girl hesitated, then looked up, and carried on, stuttering all the way; "Rose T-Tyler, of the Torchwood Institute, Register Number 56709/Apple. I – I am here on behalf of the K-Kataslyan…err, Kastalian… Empire." She shifted uncomfortably as a nozzle poked into the side of her neck. "They wish the people of… Pavar to comply to their… their wishes, as are they stated in the… treaty of peace… or my fellow companions and I will be executed on the morning of the 19th of Gesmin… oh god… and," suddenly she threw whatever she was holding across the room and looked directly at the camera. Her voice was shaken by nerves but strong, the Rose he loved. It had to be her. It had to be. No one, not even a parallel Rose could be so alike, so fierce._

"…_and…_ _Whatever the hell they want, don't bloody well give it to them, alright? I don't know who the hell you are but for god's sake; stand up for what you believe in! Don't give 'em anything…"_

_Then for a moment, everything was silent. Then something shook the camera and she suddenly slumped in the chair, unconscious._

The Doctor stood, frozen in the doorway, shaking. Such a long time… too many memories…

But he'd never done what he owed to her. He'd never… could he do that? Could he see her? Break down all the barriers he'd put up? Could he bare to lose her all over again?

Before the Doctor's thoughts even bothered to collect themselves, he was running out of the cheap bar, down the street.

His Rose needed him.

_**A/N: I said the next chappie would be longer, so sorry it wasn't! Ooh! Excited about this seeing as I have no plan and just write it as it comes. Enjoy? Tell me! Click the magical Review button! Thanks.**_

_**Yours,**_

_**StrangePrinciples**_


	3. Of Psychic Paper and Fixed Dates

_**A/N: Thanks to all you reviewers! You make my day, you really, really do! As an answer to your requests, here's the next chapter of If Only I could just touch Your World Upon A Whisper… completely unplanned, with me sitting here with no idea what I'm about to write. I'll tell you what I think of it at the end. And hopefully, you will too!**_

_**Thanks again, Strange Principles**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't know anything. But I would LIKE to own Doc10 for my birthday coming up. Whoo – 14 soon! So if you get my present, I'd prefer it to be around 6 foot 4 in height, just so he can, you know, fit in… thanks!**_

_**The Skarian Galaxy, Kastal Headquarters**_

Rose woke again to find that she was in some kind of white walled cell, and that she was not alone. However, she did not find this wholly discomforting, because her manacles were off, and although there were guards at the heavily bolted steel door, she recognised the faces around her to be the crew from the K37 Gem 5 mission. Hell, had she wanted to see them! They were all like her; looking around bewildered and scared, but pleased with the company of each other.

She stirred in her position so their attention directed at her. Mickey, her faithful Mickey, jumped up immediately and ran to her side, with a happy cry of: "Rose!"

"Mm," moaned Rose slightly as she got into a sitting position, and held her head with one hand. "Where are we?"

Mickey, still standing, looked around and shrugged, sniffed – a new habit of his, it seemed – and sat down next to her. "You tell me. I thought we were dead after we flew into that thing."

"Yeah, well. Nothing's impossible," she said, with that distracted air that Mickey knew to be telling him she was thinking. Good old Rose. Always prepared. "And I think I've got an explanation, too…"

"So spill," said Mickey, beckoning the others closer. One who was missing was Zack, otherwise there would have been the regular routine check on members of the mission present. But Rose didn't really worry about this. The words were falling over her tongue to get out.

"Mickey, so you know… where we came from," said Rose carefully, hinting at her past. Torchwood had never known exactly where this blonde fighter had come from. "Back then, we went to Krop Tor, years into the future. The Black Hole there was… it was just an eater, it destroyed everything, sort of… we had to leave when the planet got sucked in. We nearly all died in the process, too, but in this universe, everything's different, right?"

The crew all nodded as she made diagrams with her hands. They were used to Rose talking very oddly about different universes, different dimensions – and although it was beyond all possibilities, they had to believe her because she carried what she said with such a deep conviction.

"So, what if the Black Hole we went through really is a gateway? Different dimensions, different superstitions, and different possibilities, right? What wasn't possible in that universe can become possible here… well," Rose suddenly stopped and bit her lip, glancing around at the others as if they were looking at her like she was mad. She missed the fact that they were hanging on her every word. Mickey made a vague hand gesture, motioning her to carry on, but Rose didn't have any more to say, really. _He_ would have been so much better at explaining this…

"…Well, that's what I think…"

Her announcement was greeted with silence, where thoughts were thick and fast and her friends, the crew, considered. Then Jefferson looked up and nodded bluntly. It was possibly the best thing he could have done for Rose at that moment.

"I don't know how you get all your knowledge, but that seems to cut the dust, and I don't see any alternate explanation."

Rose smiled in gratitude and delight, and quite a bit of pride for herself.

"So…" said Mickey. "Yeah, I agree… I think. But we still have a problem."

"What's that?" Said Rose, intrigued.

"We reckon Zack was killed in the flight. We don't have a captain and the next person he requested command to be given to was… well, it was you."

Rose just stared blankly at him for a moment. "So… what're you saying? I'm captain?"

"Yeah."

Rose directed her gaze onto nothing in particular, but something twisted inside her. She was a Captain now. These people were her responsibility.

That was just great. Really, really great. A Captain pressing buttons and throwing her weight around.

No, hang on… was that such a bad thing?

_**The Skarian Galaxy, Pavar, Outside the TARDIS**_

The Doctor put the sonic screwdriver in between his teeth and looked out onto the bustling street of steam powered and hydrogen fuelled cars that sped two feet above the blackened roads. Pulling his overcoat on he took the psychic paper out of his pocket. He always had problems with that. So often people had psychic training and it got taken away. But he had loads to spare. In fact, he had two hundred A4 sheets of it which he had purchased just a month ago at the alien version of a Tesco's.

He wouldn't use the TARDIS. He was part of events and even if he did, it would mean he'd miss out on the most exciting part of everything. Fighting the fight. And it could only bring him quicker to what he both wanted and dreaded to find.

No… not the TARDIS this time.

He jogged over the street regardless of the hologram above him that represented a blue traffic light, to one of the places he loved most. Well, second most. If it didn't sell processed meat then it certainly wasn't a compulsory part of life, but Information centres were always… _quite_… useful.

"Hello there," he said, leaning over the illuminated Perspex desk. An alien form turned around, a traditional Pavarian. One eye in the middle of the head, a humanoid figure except for its extraordinary slimmed form and bulbous head. It's fingers were long and skeletal, never different from the twin race, from Kastal.

Something clicked and vibrated within… her… voice. "Good evening, Sir. How may I be of service?"

"Righty-ho, just to cover the first bits, I guess the necessities… Pavar and Kastal are at war."

The woman's charming smile faltered slightly but then resumed back to it's normal state. "Confirmed, however the authorities have not declared war just yet."

"Oh good, I hate it when it's official," grimaced the Doctor. "Either way I'm guessing you really are at war, whatever they say. Right. So. Second thing I want to know. Who's the main force exploring Kastal at the moment? Any squads dispatched?"

"Confirmed. The Pavarian Government has initialised a squadron to explore Kastal and to… infiltrate its barriers."

The Doctor grinned. "Right, sign me up. Where do I go?"

This time the alien did not prevent the surprise on her face. "But sir…" She faltered yet again as the Doctor increased the intensity of his eager grin. "Go to the Central Octagon, into the old National Mapping Systems building. People are signing up from there."

"Brilliant," said the Doctor, smacking a hand down onto the surface before turning away, and just as abruptly turning back again.

"You don't happen to sell Hot Dogs, do you?"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Three hours later, a bit of work with the psychic paper and filling out needless forms, and the Doctor was in. He could see, all around him, the scared faces of other volunteers around him, most pure Pavarian. The system of the war reminded him of old earth and the first world war, where people who did not sign up were given white feathers by women to encourage them to. The system was not completely alike but it was just as wrong. If they didn't try, they might as well have jumped off a bridge into a busy motorway rather than walk down the street.

It was all too obvious the Government were desperate. Volunteers were being taken off on missions almost as soon as they joined up. The Doctor himself had volunteered for everything. Anything to get him on that planet. He loved adrenaline, and he loved trying to save innocent people. It was the sense of calm he got at the end. But right now his two hearts were pumping fast for a reason, and none of these factors could explain it.

"Would Recruit number 77509 please report to the main desk."

The Doctor looked at his tag and smiled as he jumped up, waving at everyone in sight, who all looked back at him with bemused stares.

"That would be me then! Turrah! Bye! Don't miss me!" He walked off and smiled at the ceiling. "Too much," he muttered as an afterthought.

The formal looking people at the main desk nodded formally at him, exchanged no words, and handed him papers, an ID card, and motioned him to follow them. The Doctor, of course, wasn't one to follow after, and overtook the disapproving receptionist, or whatever the hell he was, with a happy stride. He did, however, stop, look around and scratch his head before taking the wrong turning at the first fork. It was just a habit. He didn't have much of a sense of direction, really.

After finally taking the right route, he pulled the crumpled papers out of one of his many pockets. The runes on the paper translated inside his head automatically, despite the fact that the Doctor could have read it without the help of the TARDIS.

_Recruit 77509 Rank: Soldier_

_Mission Infiltrate Kastalian Headquarters_

_Vessel Number 3/MK27/Pav._

_To infiltrate Kastalian Headquarters and review the weaponry status, and decommission and disassemble any dangerous weapons. Dispatched: 4800 hours, Pavarian Time. Co-ordinates: K22334, 00678 Skarian Galaxy._

Kastalian Headquarters. He'd been hoping for the easy ride to try and rescue the hostages but no, nothing in his life was easy. However, it had to be better than nothing. He was going, and even if it meant he had to abandon his mission he'd get there. There were people to be saved, and one person in particular…

"_You know, they keep trying to split us up, but they never ever will…" The happy blonde linked her arm with his cheerfully. He was content as he could be just now, just travelling around with her and at first he felt like smiling, but oddly he didn't. He could feel something in the air. See something in the stars. Sense something in the future._

"_Never say never ever," he said quietly, eating the last of his precious cake with ball bearings. _

"_Nah," said Rose in that care-free way… "We'll always be okay, you and me." She looked up in such awe at the simple fireworks, but when he didn't answer, she looked concerned. There was something in her eyes that asked him to reassure her. But there it was. That thing in the air, that foreboding sense, and the Doctor couldn't say it._

"_Don't you reckon, Doctor?"_

"_Something in the air, something's coming," he said, looking up at the sky, full of fireworks and stars and beauty. It was a moment to be enjoyed but something or someone wasn't letting that happen._

"_What?" _

_He carried on looking at the sky, cake forgotten. "A storm's approaching," he said softly. _

The Doctor suddenly realised he was just staring blankly into space. All those times he'd had opportunities to reassure her, or say what she wanted to hear and equally what he wanted to tell her, and he never ever had the chance.

Of course, this moment of loss didn't last long, where the Doctor just felt alone in the universe again, because a spindly finger poked him forcefully in the back and the Doctor fell head over heels in what seemed to be some kind of small compartment. Falling flat against the window of the small pod, the Doctor saw that he was about fifty floors up and in a space craft at one of the unloading bays on the building. Gulping, he fastened his seatbelt hastily on the only chair in the craft.

What had the psychic paper said? Competetent flier. Previously a member of the Pavarian Space Racing Team and Experienced Fighter. Oh, cake without ball bearings, he'd never thought he'd have to fly alone. That was the ingenuity of the TARDIS. It was alive, and he'd had it for years. He knew which buttons to press because such was the link that the TARDIS identified every control for him. This? He had a steering wheel, something akin to a gear stick and no breaks. Oh, and numerous flashy lights.

For a moment he looked bemused, then grabbed the steering wheel and glared at it. "It's just a piece of machinery," he said aloud to himself. "Easy," he added, and then pressed down hard on the accelerator.

The engines flared so fiercely he was flung back in his seat, and the craft flashed so quickly by it was almost a blur to pedestrians below. Trying to gather himself with the sheer speed of it, the Doctor tried to steer, and with his other hand, tapped in the coordinates that had been given to him. Looking out of the small window in front of him all the Doctor could see was night sky. The ship was now doing the directions for him. He just had to steer away from any obstacles.

That had to be easy… right?

Either way, he was on his way. And he planned to find the person who he'd loved so long ago and still did.

_**Kastalian Galaxy, HQ, Hostage Base**_

Boredom ensued for Rose and the crew. So many thoughts were running through her head, however, there was hardly time to feel it. Where was she? There were so many parallel universes, she could be any. Or… she could still be in the one she'd dwelled in for seven years. There was no way of telling. Kastal. She'd never heard of it in her life, but surely if this was a parallel universe, she'd have ended up on Krop Tor again? Near the Black Hole. And where was the rocket? Had their been a crash landing? A capture? What? And there was something much more important than that. She didn't know the date. The 19th of Gesmin was to be her execution. So what was the goddamn date? How long did she have to live?

"Mickey," she uttered quietly. He was sitting next to her, in the circle the old crew of K37 Gem 5 had adopted.

He nodded quietly, and listened.

"When you came here, did you have to read anything? A ransom note? Anything?"

Mickey shook his head and Rose bit her lip.

"But they did tell us… well, me something when we got here. Something about using us as hostages until the… Pav – something did what they said, something like that. They also said, that well, I don't wanna scare you or anything but…"

"We've got an execution date, right?"

"Yeah," said Mickey distantly, nodding his head solemnly. "Yeah… One day's time by now. Two when they told us."

"God, they don't leave the Pavarians much time to consider, do they?" Said Rose, but the words didn't carry much humour at all. She, Rose Tyler, twenty seven, had about one day to live, and this time there was no escape. She was trapped. Other times, she might have had a glimmer of hope but this time, there was nothing. There was no one to help.

So rose Tyler lay down on the sterilised white floor, looked up at the ceiling, closing her eyes, and thought. She thought about nothing in particular. Ways of escaping, memories, curiosities, they all flashed past, overwhelmed by a feeling of utter hopelessness.

If she could have seen the skies above she would have noticed something, though. A speck on the horizon; an insignificant dot. A rescue ship, accompanied by thousands of others. If she could have seen it, then she would have had hope. But she couldn't. And even if she could, she would have never known that it carried the one man who could always save the day.

But she was captain, and she was with people she loved and trusted… so she guessed, there was always hope. The frown on her face slowly turned to a thoughtful smile.

_**A/N: Until next time, and thanks for all your reviews, they are greatly appreciated. I hope this chapter was less angsty, as I've written enough angst-ridden stories and to be honest, I don't get any joy from writing complete misery. A bit here and there can be good to raise the quality but who wants to read stuff that just makes you feel like you've been put through the tumble dryer? Anyhow, I hope this made you happy and I am writing Chapter four because I'm really enjoying writing this.**_

_**Special Thanks to: Eeveekitty85, jessa7 ("review buddy"!), Fanficer Lore, Lariel Romeniel, I-Confuse-Everyone, Black Sorceress, Give My Socks Back – yes you, Ellie, and I think there were more people who reviewed. Your reviews aren't showing yet, so you'll be mentioned next chapter!**_

_**All reviews are very welcome and I am extremely grateful for ANY criticisms or input! I also encourage you to look at my poem, "Good bye, Rose Tyler", which I am afraid is very angsty… sorry, I really did feel like I'd been put through the tumble dryer at the time!**_

_**Yours, StrangePrinciples**_

**_PS: If you have a David Tennant going spare, I really would like one for my 14th birthday… heheh, only kidding! _**


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Note Jessa7: I waaant that cookie!**_

_**And all other reviewers, you're all great! Thanks so much! This chapter will be up sooner than planned, simply 'cause I like writing this so much!**_

_**Disclaimer: Sigh I still don't own Doctor Who or my very own David Tennant. I don't even own that darn cookie… yet.**_

_**CHAPTER 4**_

_**Touching Your World Upon my Whispers**_

_**Kastal**_

The rocky landscape was not deserted, though at first it could seem that way. Kastal, Pavar's twin planet, was just as civilised as its twin. It had fewer resources, less inhabitants, but the civilisations there were bustling with activity. There was always something to do, somewhere to go, and most Kastalians weren't as power crazed as the main feud starters at all. They were akin to Magpies slightly; they collected talismans, loved having possessions. But they were just normal beings. Going about their business, underneath the crust of the world.

The Empire was an underground civilization, dark, lit by globes of artificial light. There world was of earth and of steel; a secret city hidden underneath the ground, full of colour, light, and peaceful Kastalians.

The Headquarters, however, were a different story. No one expected the light fearing Kastalians to build a place above ground, and even if they did suspect such a thing, how would they find amidst all of the fake projections? The headquarters was ingeniously a huge hologram that covered miles, projecting just… nothing. It never wavered, never showed any interference; simulated its own storms over the parched landscape it projected. It was perfect in every sense. No Pavarian could ever have detected it.

That is, until the Doctor joined their forces.

Grinning to himself, he stowed the Sonic Screwdriver back in his pocket and jumped out of the little space craft, pressed the button on his keys and the reinforced shields slid over the top. It hadn't really been a bumpy ride. He'd only crashed twice and had to be towed some of the way by an Emergency Assistance shuttle. Well, only, if you didn't include being pulled over by the Intergalactic Police and being given a ticket.

Ticket Shmicket.

He walked across the dune ahead of him and looked at the blank landscape ahead of him, and his grin broadened. He pulled out the sonic screwdriver again and pointed it directly at the ground beneath his feet. Perhaps only an inch before him, the ground flickered and wavered, until it gave away completely. Just a section of it, hardly detectable. But the Doctor could definitely see the bit beneath the illusion was definitely not rocks and sand. Oh no. It was steel.

The Doctor laughed, span around in a circle with his arms out and said:

"Brilliant! Just brilliant. They created a hologram to cover the headquarters. Ingenious."

And just like that, the Kastalian Empire completely lost their chance of being hidden.

The Doctor walked straight through the hologram, pressed the button on his sonic screwdriver, and took away more of it, until he had made a clear path through the mirage of desert right up to the front door of the Kastalian head quarters.

His hearts began to beat faster as he walked down the narrow pathway that wasn't hologram. It had been too long since he'd last seen that face. Half of him wanted to forget it, to be rid of it so he could move on, but the greater part was just too attached. He needed something of hers to hold onto and even if he only had a memory…

It would do. But the real thing would be better. And even if this was a parallel Rose he wouldn't hesitate to say… to do…

…What was he going to do?

Shaking his head slightly, the Doctor shook off troublesome thoughts. There were people's lives at risk. And besides, he had his psychic paper. Due to the fact the authorities on Pavar hadn't had any psychic training to speak of; it was unlikely their twins on Kastal would. So… who did he want to be?

X

"Captain Doctor reporting for duty," he grinned up at the skeletal Kastalian at the door. The alien's visor slipped up to reveal the trademark one eye that could always identify a Pavarian or Kastalian. It widened slightly as the clicking, grating voice spoke back. To the Doctor, it was perfect Galifreyan. He wasn't bothered about even trying to comprehend what the alien said: if he was pathetic enough to get involved in the war, so be it.

"Authorization required," clicked the voice, and with his confident smile still perched, unwavering on his face, the Doctor waved the psychic paper unceremoniously in the guard's face, then strode past him while the doors were only just opening.

Out of habit, he looked back down at the psychic paper to see what it had said, and sniggered to himself when he saw: _Captain Doctor, Authorization Granted. _Kastalians: they were so damn stupid. Of course… compared to the Doctor, that was.

Walking down the corridor, he looked at the clinical doors, the white walls, the steel beams and the metal bolts with distaste. He wanted to look behind those doors, wanted to see what was behind them, but as he came to the first he put his fingers to the handle, turned it, but stopped there. Again his two hearts clenched. He lifted his hand from the door, looked at it almost with regret, and walked away. There wasn't a chance, anyway. He shouldn't have hoped or tried. He walked past the rest of the doors with his head down, hands in his pockets.

Ahead of him, two Kastalians walked down the corridor, guns out. He looked up then, just when his superhuman Doctor senses noticed that something could be just a small, just a teensy bit wrong. Just a teensy, tiny, little bit. As little as you get when he found that two guns were pointed at his head.

"Aha," he said. Not much more to say, really.

"Scan registers as negative." Clicked a voice. "It should not exist."

The Doctor, of course, was deeply offended. "_It?" _He said, in a tone that could only be described as completely and utterly offended. "Now, don't you think that even if I did sneak up on your headquarters, get in with my lovely fake ID, and am probably about to be shot, you could at least call me by my proper _name."_

"It admits to its alliance to the Pavarian Empire."

"Ah," said the Doctor. Right. So maybe, if he hadn't opened his big mouth, he could have got out of this situation. Well, be that as it may, he certainly wasn't going to permit himself to be called by such an offensive name.

"It will be taken hostage. The alliance with Pavar will mean that they will comply with our wishes to get it back."

"Now," said the Doctor, infuriated, "can we please just _stop it_ with the whole "It" thing, right? I have a name!"

"You will identify yourself."

"I'm the Doctor," he said, flourishing a hand proudly.

"Identified. You shall proceed with us."

_Shut your mouth, _said something angrily in the back of the Doctor's head. That was probably himself, making conversation. Maybe one of his former self's. Maybe his… sixth generation? Hell, had he been a bitch back then.

The Doctor kept a hand in his pocket, holding his precious screwdriver firmly in one hand. There was always a way out. For the Doctor… always.

So that's why the Kastalian Guards were confused, even scared of this new person in their ranks. Why wasn't he terrified? Why wasn't he looking around, bewildered shock upon his face? And why… why was he walking around like he owned the place.

They only had one option to stop this. They were going to have to break him.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

The Doctor declined the kind offer of the manacled chair. He grimaced. He always had preferred standing up to sitting down. Of course, his hosts didn't appreciate this, but all he could really see was angry aliens waving guns about in his face, which wasn't something he felt like responding to with politeness.

"You will sit."

"No, ta. I'm fine standing. Try to sit down and my… back… might give way."

"You will sit!"

The Doctor sat obediently on the arm of the chair. And looked around, put an arm round the back of it. "Nice place you got here. Bit claustrophobic, need a bit more colour and that… but if I get you the name of my decorator… nah, on second thoughts, you don't want his name…"

"You will cease this witless talk," said one of his… escorts. It thrust a small computer screen into his lap with green runes upon its surface. The Doctor looked at it blankly, and then up as a communications screen popped up in front of him. It was blank.

The guard moved in front of him and put his gun to his forehead. "You will comply to our wishes and read the ransom note before you."

"Nah, I'll pass on that one, I think. No, on second thoughts, I know."

Behind that mundane, clouded visor, the Doctor saw an eye flash. Dangerously. And suddenly, the screen in front of him wasn't blank at all, but what he see made his whole stomach flip, his heart rising into his throat. For before him stood the impossible. He stood up, as if wanting to confront it. It spoke in its metal, murderous tones and the Doctor shook with anger.

"Doc-tor."

The Doctor raised his head in acknowledgement. "Dalek Sek."

He circled the room. The Dalek's single eye stalk followed his progress round the room. They were two ancient enemies glaring hate at each other, the Doctor's own anger burning like a furnace. It was the Dalek's fault. Their whole race had torn his one salvation away from him and he wasn't having it. He wasn't going to accept that one had survived. He would right this wrong.

"How did you survive the Void?" Said the Doctor softly, looking directly at the screen in front of him.

"Emergency transportation," grated Dalek Sek. "I landed on this planet with its slow and unintelligent life forms. I survived."

"And now…" said the Doctor, looking around with a smile on his face though it held no mirth, "you've created an alliance with the Kastalian Empire. The one thing a Dalek would never do, and you've gone ahead anyway."

"We were the Cult of Skaro. We imagined. We accepted. We found new ways of extermination."

"Yep," sighed the Doctor, looking at his blank surroundings. "You did."

"You will obey the wishes of the Kastalian Empire. It is required for Dalek Supremacy."

The Doctor picked up the ransom note and looked at it for a second. Then he looked at the Dalek as if it was mad: well, it was. In its cold cage for eternity, never aging, never dying, never feeling.

"_This_?" he said incredulously. "What good is this going to do? They haven't even spelled 'execution' right and it's in their own language!"

"You will READ." Persisted the Dalek. If the Doctor hadn't known better, he would have said the Dalek was angry.

"Why do you want me to read?" Said the Doctor softly, dropping the panel onto the floor.

The Dalek said nothing. The communications screen winked out. A new one opened, that traced his movement and sound vibrations. The Doctor was officially on camera, and he smiled and waved to his millions of viewers on Pavar. Inside, his emotions were in a turmoil. A Dalek lose in the universe again; old memories awakening. A girl…

"Read."

The Doctor picked up the panel off the floor and read it all obediently, then looked up again at the camera, and shrugged to his viewers at the Pavarian Government.

"But I wouldn't listen to all that," he said. "These lot, they're a bit stupid. Oh, but they got one thing right. Help right now would probably be helpful…"

The Doctor looked around as a Kastalian angrily shoved a gun next to his ear. It hissed: "They will never find you, Doctor."

"Nah… I doubt they will… _K22334, 00678…_ two miles away from landing point… see, there's no hope for me, I'm going to be killed, murdered brutally, put in that boiling pot just round the corner of this room… _follow the path through the desert_… terrible things, those, get way too dehydrated…"

The Doctor winked at the video screen before it was cancelled and two very, very angry guards lead him out of the room to an isolated cell.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

The hours passed so slowly. Painfully so. Rose guessed it would be harder if they were passing quickly, but the time she had in which to think about her death was even worse.

_Nineteen hours to go now… eighteen… fifteen…_

Mickey checked his watch again, sighed, and put his head in his hands. Rose shifted slightly from her position. Her legs were cramped from staying still for so long, but she couldn't move from her position. She simply sat there, looking into the distance. She didn't even hear Mickey's voice as he said glumly:

"Two hours…"

Rose had thought so much over those hours. Not about anything much. Old memories she had never put away and never desired to. Losing them… no. That just wasn't going to happen. She imagined about where she was. Not Krop Tor. Definitely not. There were no staking storms, no Ood… no strange messages in the air.

There were so many things she wanted to talk about to Mickey but found she couldn't, such was the hard lump in her throat. She guessed they'd just have to be kept to herself for the rest of life. However short that may now be.

But there was every possibility of escape. Rose had learnt that a long time ago. There was always a hitch, a slight weakness in the enemy's defences.

"Right," she said, getting up. "Here's the plan…"

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

The Doctor let the Guard fall down freely as he fell unconscious. Stowing his screwdriver back in his pocket, he lifted the newly opened bolts of the door and snuck outside, keeping close to the wall. He knew perfectly well what date it was, and even if she wasn't… his… Rose, he was going to do absolutely anything to save that face. Anything.

So, he thought to himself. I have a plan.

_**A/N: Oho, massive cliffy, I hope! Next chapter is going to be explosive, I promise you, and Rose is going to be in it a lot more. I think both of them will! Thanks to all you great reviewers. You are just wonderful. I was checking my STATS and was just amazed to find that 20 people have me on alert! That's more than ever! I am so, SO grateful!**_

**_So, special thanks to: LarielRomeniel, dolly.the.sheep, lymony, Fanficer Lore, Ravena Storm, Radish earrings, Jessa7, Starlite 1, Romana I, Cassandra Sita Terra, I-Confuse-Everyone, Annie Coomes, stargazing Basketcase, Black Sorceress, Eeveekitty85, Give My Socks Back, and everyone else who replied to my PMs… I can't thank you enough!_**

_**Well, it's good bye from me!**_

_**Till tonight, either the finishing, or penultimate chapter. We'll see when I write it.**_

_**Yours,**_

**_StrangePrinciples. _**


	5. Chapter 5

**_Note to all my adoring fans: cough Well, here we go. The next chapter is up and if this is indeed the last or the penultimate, you can bet that I'm writing a sequel ;)_**

_**Jessa7: Yes, I'm still sore from it! But we'll see who gets that cookie, shall we?**_

_**Disclaimer: Well, I still don't anything except myself and this here computer box! However, the offers are finally coming in (more like taunts…) about the Doctor Who Action Figure.**_

**_Once I finish this I'm afraid I'll have to do my favourite past-time: English Homework, so I'll try and write as much as I can but also tomorrow is going to be a bit tricky with my school award ceremony and my –joy- Orthodontist appointments. So I'll try, just for you guys _**

_**Is that…?**_

_**Chapter Five**_

_**Kastalian Headquarters**_

_It's useless, worthless. Nothing's going to stop this. This is fate. We are the minority and we will be consumed._

_But I can try…_

Rose Tyler let the guard fall, unconscious to the floor. She held no compassion for whoever was behind that clouded visor; and she had no desire at all to check. Beside her, Mickey did the same with the other guard. Now for the door, bolted with steel. Mickey put the small Sleeper back into his pocket. It couldn't be counted as a weapon, because it did not hurt or maim or kill. It was used to distract, or to put to sleep – hence the rather obvious name. Torchwood wasn't imaginative with their developments. They were purely factual.

She gave Mickey a hasty smile before looking hesitantly at the door. She wasn't too sure this would work at all. But it was their only hope and it stood between them and liberty.

_She was broken, she was torn apart by his absence. Time didn't heal, it didn't hurt. It did nothing. But she wasn't gone completely. She was Rose Tyler. And she was strong._

Press the guard's finger tips against the print scanner. Click. Access granted. The time moved quickly. More needed. The liquid was rubbed smoothly across the locked bolt. Slippery. Move away, before it explodes. A deafening bang. A smouldering door. Not open. Useless.

"Don't give up, Rose," said Jane, squeezing her arm reassuringly. Rose smiled at her, and looked back at her companion. Jane Tyler would be six years old now, and Jackie Tyler would be worried out of her mind, and so would Pete. Her dad. Her mum. Her sister. This Jane, however, shared none of the likenesses of Rose's… half… sister. She was a professional, and she was kind. But she just wasn't…

Rose rocked on her heels and Mickey looked back at her.

"They'll have heard that by now," he said, almost apologetically, to her.

Rose looked at the ceiling desperately and put her head in her hands. Think. Had to think. Too many thoughts. Useless, old thoughts. Not thinking about the right things. Stop thinking about him. Have to. Think about the present. The present. Focus on NOW.

"_This is the goddamn present!"_ Rose yelled, suddenly, and took one of her earrings out, bent it out of its circular shape. White gold hoops that she'd had no joy in receiving from her parents years ago, but had appreciated all the same. A little part of home. But regardless of that, she jammed it in one of the many locks on the door, twisting it around desperately.

"Help me!" She cried out, not to her companions, but to the door. She seemed to remember saying that once before, in the TARDIS… trying to back to her Doctor…

No, don't think about that. Twist. Open. Force it open!

It clicked.

Rose stared up at the door in amazement. It didn't open, but if she could just…

She nudged it with her shoulder, and the door fell to pieces.

Behind her, there was a jubilant cheer as the members of the Torchwood Institute swarmed over to her. Jefferson nodded at her, Mickey hugged her, and Jane simply stepped over the remains of the frame.

"To hell with Torchwood," said Mickey joking, "let's thank F.Hinds for their jewellery."

"And to think I was gonna take them back to the shop," said Rose appreciatively.

There was a happy silence for a few seconds, broken only by Jane running back into the room with an urgency written in the lines of her forehead.

"Alien guys at 12 o' clock," she hissed to all of them. "Lots of alien guys!"

Rose leaned out of the door. A procession of mottled aliens garbed in black ran down the corridor, looking professional – killing professional. Rose did the first thing she could think of, and probably the most rational at the moment, too, and yelled:

"Run!"

The others didn't need telling. They plummeted down the corridor regardless of the raining bullets behind them. Not bullets. Light, pure light. So much for having at least another hour to live; now, she may have shortened her life even more.

Rose took the closest left; then right, then right again, running through the maze of corridors. She had no idea where she was. On the intercom of the building, somewhere up above, she heard a crackling voice spurt into life. There. A lift. She needed to get somewhere and that could be her way out…

"Seal Level 0."

The intercom spluttered out of life as the lift doors began to close. Rose launched herself through the doors, slipped, and then fell straight into the lift just as the doors sealed. When she opened her eyes, she could see someone lying next to her, about to get up from the floor. Thank god; it was Mickey. But… there were no other forms in the lift. Just her and her best friend. She looked around with sorrow. So much for Acting Captain; she had just killed two of her crew. She sat down in the middle of the lift and felt the lift tremble as it came into life, pulling her up.

Somewhere in the back of her head, she realised that this occurrence was probably not a good thing at all. There would be more guards on alert on floors above.

But somewhere, deep within her, she could feel all that pain turning itself over again. She put a hand to her ear where she'd torn her earring away, and looked at the slim metal gold rod she now had gripped in her hand. She bent it over so it resembled a hook, fumbled beneath the top of her zip-up jacket for the chain she had kept around her neck for seven years, and put it on. There. It had pride of place beside the key she'd wished for so many years to glow again with the light of the TARDIS.

"Cheer up, Rose." Mickey put a comforting hand on his shoulder, but, for the first time in about five years, Rose was back to thinking that it wasn't the right one. It should have belonged to someone else. The voice should have belonged to someone else. The face…

She rested her hand on his and stood up, just as the lift juddered to a halt and doors hissed and grinded, steel against steel, as they opened to show an array of soldiers bristling with weaponry.

"Thanks, Mickey," she said quietly, never taking her gaze off the aliens in front of her. Then she stepped forward into their cold metal embrace, feeling the metal of handcuffs bite into her flesh. Beside her the same was being done to Mickey. After all, there wasn't much escape from that, and Rose had seen worse days.

There was always an escape.

It was just, when seven years had passed after believing that, it was a hard thought to cling to.

_Always an escape… Always an escape… always an escape… always an… always… always…_

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

"Execution of Rose Tyler to be on public record. Open Video Link. She will serve as an example to one and all."

Rose's heart quickened as she was shoved into a chair. She was blindfolded, but that didn't stop her sensing the people around her, hear Mickey's yell of "Rose!" as they pulled her away and imprisoned her in the chair which would be the death of her. He was taken away to another room, ripped away from her.

A sweep of air introduced the communication window. Rose could feel the groping fingers of her captors as they pulled ropes tight about her, as they bit into her skin and restricted her breathing. Something in her head, a voice, casually started a conversation about how ropes were a little medieval, and Rose knew why. She was panicking. Badly. This was her way of getting out of it, but it wasn't working. The voices grew louder. Talking to herself. Her fingers drummed against the arms of the chair with the nerves of it all.

_Flash._

_Lying on a hill, faking death after being tossed off a horse. Laughter, merriment. Birds twittered as he picked her up laughingly. She laughed, too. Happy days. For a moment she just stood there laughing, looking at him. Then he offered his arm. Take it. Walk with him. Walk in the stars. Not anymore. Distant, so distant. Absence… gone forever…_

_Flash_

The tear ran down her face like liquid crystal. Rose blinked beneath the blindfold. Before her, someone moved, someone spoke. She hardly listened. Something about… her, being an example. Them being merciless. Them getting what they wanted. Somewhere in Rose anger rose at the pure selfishness, but was suppressed by the fact that this time, she couldn't escape. She was held by steel, and rope, and misery. Maybe a long time ago… but there was no longer room for wishful thinking.

Think of the good times.

By her throat, Rose could feel boiling: a vat of some sort? Her hands and face scrunched up, and the tears poured freely. Don't think about him. Never that. Think about what you've got; Mickey, Torchwood; Jane, Jackie, a new dad… Pete Tyler. A mansion, a limousine, parents that would have done anything and everything for her.

She didn't really have the time to think at all as she felt a boiling sensation, pain like nothing she'd felt before, spread along her body…

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

The Doctor looked at one of the communication windows that had popped up everywhere. A public execution.

He stopped, and he stared.

And he ran like the wind.

_**A is for All I ever wanted**_

Oh, god, the pain… Rose felt it, it spread across her, enveloping her senses, tearing her apart inside, within… She wished, and she remembered, and she couldn't stop the tears…

_**B is for the Beauty I see, and C is my Confession**_

_He ran…_

_**D is for my devotion, E is for its eternity; F can only Follow after and G is for my Gratefulness to you…**_

And now she couldn't hear, couldn't feel. It didn't matter, because she already knew, she thought, that she would never have got back home. And she'd lived her life. She just had one regret…

_**H is for the Happiness, and J is for the Joy; K is for your Kindliness and I is for what's Inside…**_

_Got to keep running…_

_**L is for my Love to you, M is for what Might have Been; N is Night and darkness, O is when you screamed…**_

_Regret… when he was torn away…_

_**P is Perfection, Q means you were my Queen; R is for the Righteousness, S was never seen…**_

_He couldn't let go of her now. Skid into the room, see it for real. Shout out. Cry for her. Feel desperately in his pocket…_

_**T is for the precious Time, U was Understanding; V was Virtuosity and W was When I left you.**_

She heard a voice. She heard it calling, through the pain and the sensation that the liquid was burning away at her, working from the inside. She could feel herself slipping away. She recognised it; she cherished it. Now, she knew she was dead. Because that was the only way she could ever hear that voice again.

"Rose…"

_**X is the headstone of your grave, Y is years spent wasted. And Z is for the time's run out, there's no time to reach the finish line…**_

All that could be heard or felt in the room was darkness… enveloping darkness. A shout amidst it shook everyone to their senses. Some turned, and they met their deaths. Somewhere there was a vessel of misery so powerful it enveloped everything within it's midst.

And then, something disturbed the blackness. A whining sound, so minute it could have been dismissed; and a blue light flickered. The lights in the room flickered back on to reveal the bodies of armoured Kastalians. Everyone dead. The people of Pavar watching on the Communications Screen saw everything as the stranger with tears running down his face picked through the bodies and came to a stop at the chair and the vat. Slowly he took the whining device out, put it against the manacles and ropes and unwrapped the blindfold to reveal closed lids and a tear stricken face.

Everyone saw it, and it shook the hearts of the people watching.

The only person who didn't see it was Rose Tyler.

…

_**I'll sit here until eternity passes me by,**_

_**As the leaves from the trees begin to fly,**_

_**As they rest, golden upon your face,**_

_**And leave no mark or trace.**_

_**We never finished the race, **_

_**And this is why I kneel,**_

_**This book of letters in my hand,**_

_**In memory of your perpetual zeal.**_

Z is for your Zeal.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

A Dalek appears in the doorway, but the man is ready. The Doctor is always ready. He puts the body carefully down and confronts it, anger burning brightly in his eyes, his face set. No witty comments this time. Nothing to say that's nice. Just bitterness. Bitter, bitter, bitter. He speaks poison because that's all that is left for him.

He talks to the Dalek. He realises so many things. He realises the Dalek's feeble plans for the eradication of life on all planets through an alliance with another powerful race. He realises its desperation to cling onto what it has left of life, but there's no remorse for it. Other things, maybe. But not for his steel enemy.

So he takes the gun of white hot light he used against the rest. Purely for protection against the one he loved. Them or her. Her or them. Always them, never her. He'd never lay a finger against _her. _And he directs it straight at the unmoving Dalek, whispers good bye to his old foe under his breath, and fires a beam of light out of the nozzle.

The light never hits, because the Dalek does a random and emergency transport; he'll end up on another planet, somewhere, making trouble. But maybe it's best that way, thinks the Doctor. The Lonely Doctor. Because it gives him something to fight for. The light dissipates into nothing and the room is left cold again. People watching cry hot tears, not only with the sorrow but because they _know_ that after such a horror, the war is over.

But not for the Doctor.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

_Ba-dum._

_Ba-dum._

It's a rhythmic drum pounding in her ears and she can hear it. She can feel, too. Feel the pain, lesser now.

Ba-dum.

It's getting stronger, strengthening with each beat. It doesn't sound like a drum anymore at all. It sounds like a heartbeat. It gets quicker with the realisation, and the golden light swarms below the eyelids. You see, it never went. Not entirely. And it's burning strong now, so strong, trying to get out of the one it loves and make her live again.

Ba-dum.

The drums are getting louder…

The Doctor always did dread the day he'd take her body home. To her mother. And even though he knew the day would now never come, he didn't feel any less pain for it. His heart was turning over and this time, he didn't bother wiping the tears away. He knew he shouldn't have come. Watching her die all over again, being torn away from him… no one deserved that, not even him. He couldn't. Nothing in the universe deserved it.

He carried her down the hallways, knowing he could not take her back home in his one seated pod. Knowing that his TARDIS was on a different planet. A feeling of utter helplessness enveloped the Doctor and he sat down on the floor with a bump, leaning against the wall, wiping away the tears angrily.

He looked at Rose Tyler's face with regret and whispered the words she'd never heard, was never going to hear. The words that he himself never thought he would hear. They came out anyway, despite his best efforts to keep them in.

"I love you too, Rose Tyler. I love you, too."

_BA-DUM._

_The golden light flickers. It hears._

_That was all it needed._

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Rose's eyes opened and she saw herself, saw her wet clothes. Wet, but not damaged. Her every limb hurt and her skin burnt, but with her hand pressed to her face, she could see nothing had been damaged. It was a wonder she was alive. Who had saved her? She could remember so little. Mickey? No. He couldn't have saved her. Or… maybe this was death. One voice she had heard earlier had been impossible… it had to be…

She jumped up, feeling the pain bite at her flesh but not caring. It had been too real to be a dream. Way too real. No… where was he? Where…?

She heard a door slam.

She turned a round, and ran, ran as if for her life. Her fingers grasped the door handle and she desperately pulled it open, determined to see the figure that she'd longed to see for seven years. Tears of joy and relief blurred her vision but that didn't stop her, when she saw the light, from identifying the shape ahead of her. She slammed the door, cried an incoherent cry to the sky as she slipped out of what looked like a giant factory, all trace of illusion gone.

It couldn't be…

It was…

It was _him…_

The Doctor heard a cry behind him, so familiar. He would have turned around if he knew it wasn't just the old memories. He was thinking unwillingly as he went back to the ship. He was so guilty, felt so evil for leaving her in a deserted corridor, but what other choice could there be? Burying her in alien soil? That was almost as bad. Out in the open, where time would gradually reduce her bones to dust. None were appealing and none were right, but he didn't have a choice.

"Doctor!"

The voice was thick like the person had been crying, or was desperate. She'd said that so many times, seven years ago.

"Doctor!"

Long time ago. He'd never hear it again…

"DOCTOR!"

And that time, he heard it, and he looked around. She was a figure full of life who'd looked so dead before. Who should be dead. She'd had no heartbeat, no nothing. All these facts rolled through his head but none of them registered because right then, the Doctor was running as fast as he could back to the headquarters, back to _her_, back to someone who always sprang back and…

He enveloped her in his arms. He didn't care about anything else. The thoughts stopped as he felt her crying tears of joy into his coat. Time stopped as he whirled her through the air in the close embrace and he felt her sob against him. Which was okay. She was entitled to do so. He was crying real tears himself.

After what seemed eternity they pulled away and he looked at her directly, like he couldn't believe she was real. She tried to say something to him, but it wouldn't come out; he saw her eyes scrunch up as she tried to suppress more sobs. And then she said it. It needed to be said. He'd waited for those words for so long. Even these.

She smiled up at him, through the tears, and even though it wavered, he knew she was joyful.

"You," she sobbed, "you look like you need a cup of tea," she choked.

The Doctor smiled, and he hugged her again. He was never going to let go of her again. And on the spur of the moment, he said the happy words that he knew she'd always wanted to her.

"I love you, Rose Tyler. I really do!"

And it was true. Because seven years is a long time, and they'd both had time to think.

And their thoughts had stayed as stubborn as ever. And it didn't matter.

Because this was _their_ reunion.

_**A/N:**_

_**Finished**_

_**Enjoy a sequel, if I write it.**_

**_And I hope that 'cut the dust'. Least, I hope it did. Please review with your thoughts. I may write an epilogue _**

_**StrangePrinciples.**_


	6. Epilogue

_**Bunches and bunches of thanks to everyone who reviewed. I notice there were some spelling errors and a but of unintended repetition in this, which really gets on my nerves. I just didn't notice it while I was typing. So I hope you'll forgive me. Maybe? Anyway I'm thrilled to bits so many people liked this and here it is, the requested epilogue of 'If I could Just Touch Your World Upon a Whisper'. Seems a little odd without a prologue, but here we are. Roll credits!**_

_**Disclaimer: Still don't own it, and all the Doctor Who toys I ever bought were all for other people, so there we go. David Tennant still on request. I was ever a wishful thinker! XP**_

_**Epilogue**_

_**A Cup Of Tea**_

This is my story. My name is Rose Marion Tyler, daughter of Pete and Jackie Tyler, sister to Jane Tyler, friend of Mickey Smith, and the Doctor's companion. This is my life. And that is me.

That sums it up. But those are just the facts. Because there's so much more to me than those. I don't pretend to be great, and I don't pretend to brilliant, because in the end, I just know I'm lucky. But one thing I do know is that I'm more than words on a piece of paper, more than an image in a photo, and more than facts in someone's head. I am me. And that makes me completely, utterly unique. I've known this ever since I was born. It just took a while to realise.

Because when you've seen all the things I've had, and lived my average, boring life; if you've ever in your life accompanied the Doctor, ever ventured inside the magical TARDIS, then you'll know that life is a lot more than anything like that.

Seven years ago I was ripped apart and left alone in a universe that looked and was exactly the same as my own home, give or take – the only thing that was different was the absence of my real home. Aboard the TARDIS. With my very own magician, who could take me to the furthest reaches of the galaxy and would always be there to hold my hand. I was alone inside and I think everyone knew it. With time, nothing healed. But it made me stronger.

And then came the mission of K37 Gem 5, where we journeyed to the edge of the galaxy to look upon Satan's rock, Krop Tor… The Bitter Pill. Then came the time I was sucked through to another universe, where I died, and where finally, I lived again.

Because that's what being with the Doctor is all about. Life. Death will always be a part of life and some things he may have caused to die too early; but if you just had the chance to travel with him, you'd understand what he really did. He breaks hearts, breaks lives, breaks civilisations. But hell, can he mend things. And any time, if you ever get the opportunity to travel with him, grab it by the throat and hold on for your life because it's guaranteed to be the best time of your life.

Nothing's changed since the day he finally said the words that I'd been longing to hear, and yet known for so long. It's me and the Doctor and life as normal… as normal as could be had for us. I wouldn't have it any other way. That's why I loved him in the first place. Because he didn't give a damn, and at the same time he cared about things more than anything. He just wasn't good at showing it. Not all the time, anyway. Not the times when it mattered.

But that's okay. Because now I know.

I'll miss you, Jane Tyler, Jackie Tyler, and Pete Tyler. For seven years you consoled me and helped me move on. If there's one regret I have, it's that you think I'm dead. But I was willing to give you up seven years ago and I still am now. It's not because I don't love you with all my heart, it's not because I favour the Doctor. It's because I had to come back, had to know some point in my life, and everyone leaves home sometimes. I haven't found something better. But I feel better for it.

And as for you, Mickey Smith. I don't know where you are. But I will find you. And if there is no way to get back to the universe you fell in love with ages ago, then I'd do anything to make up for it.

These days are bright and colourful and breathtaking. Enough to take all my worries away. Even if I sometimes wonder that I'll wake up in my bed and find it's all a dream. Either way, I intend to enjoy it while I can. Because I won't be able to spend eternity with the Doctor, even with the vortex inside me. But I can make sure I enjoy every minute of it. I can make sure that he always has a hand to hold. And I'll always, always make sure he has a cup of tea to hand.

The TARDIS key glows around my neck these days and it reminds me of the time I had so hoped it would come to life again. It makes me grateful, because that is what I should be.

So this is me. Rose Marion Tyler, and this is my story of ripped stitches and the needle and thread that came and patched me up again. But this isn't the end of my adventures, I promise you that. There'll be a lot more stories about me.

I'll make sure of it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx

Rose closed the book and rose off the seat near the console to look around as was her daily ceremony, and be glad that she was there. She was greeted by the Doctor, who had something delicate and round in his hand, and was looking rather pleased with himself.

"What you got there?" she said, trying to look over his closed hands. "You been fishing in the bath tub for gold again?"

The Doctor opened his hand to reveal one, perfectly circular white gold hoop earring. He grinned. "That took me days to do, that did."

Rose beamed. "Ages? Couldn't you have just… I dunno, used one of your TARDIS-tastic thingymabobs to fix it?"

"Fixed this by hand, I did," he said proudly. "And I mean, it took ages. It's _exactly_ the same shape it was before. Every _curve_ is accurate…"

Rose was still smiling when he looked down. She took the earring and slipped it into her ear. One earring on. "Yarr," she said. "What do you think of the pirate look?"

"Very dashing," said the Doctor in that way that suggested he wasn't going to go into detail for fear of being… _rude_.

Rose looked up as he turned away and linked arms with his. "Thanks," she said. "I know you could have used one of your machine things."

The Doctor took a deep intake of breath and nodded slightly. "Ooh, you've got me there."

"So why didn't you?"

"I, er, I like a challenge. And, er, well…"

"What, Doctor?"

"Ah, you were worth the effort, Rose Tyler."

They walked out of the TARDIS to the unknown still laughing and joking about things, because this was the present, any they were taking life as it came. Anything to have just one moment more with the other.

_**THE END**_

**_A/N: Now, I'm writing the sequel.  Enjoy. I hope that answered any questions about Rose's feelings to leaving a parallel earth with her mother and father on it. Or what happened to Mickey. _**

_**SO… Review!**_


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